IxX PKOCEEDINGS, 



the ruined gateway has been erected at a much more recent date 

 where was once the drawbridge over the moat. But while to an 

 antiquary it may be a matter for regi'et that any alterations have 

 been made in the old ruins, it cannot be denied that the work has 

 been most artistically carried out. The site of the Castle, there is 

 some reason to believe, was a seat of one of the Kings of Mercia 

 at least as long ago as the year 850. 



The village of Bennington, with its quaint old houses, is almost 

 as well worth seeing as its church and its castle, and to one of 

 these, the Bell Inn, the members then proceeded, an-iving at the 

 exact time stated on the notice of the meeting, 4 o'clock, and 

 finding tea ready for them. 



The return walk was taken through Aston, but by a totally 

 different route from that by which Bennington had been reached, 

 the high road being followed as far as Aston, and Knebworth 

 Station being reached from there by field-paths and for some 

 distance through meadows by the side of a stream. 



Field Meeting, 29th May, 1897. 

 KEW GARDENS. 



A fairly good number of members with their friends met at the 

 Principal Entrance to the Gardens, the greater part from Watford 

 and St. Albans ; some others, including the senior Secretary, were 

 deprived of the pleasure of being present owing to being caught, 

 on starting from London, in a heavy storm of rain, fortiinately 

 occurring whilst most were in the train. 



The Rock Gardens were first visited, many interesting and 

 beautiful flowers being pointed out, such as the Trillium or 

 "Trinity Flower," so called from all its parts being in threes, 

 various species of Saxifraga, Aubrietia, and Trollius, a few orchids, 

 and the later Primulaceae. The beds of Iris germanica were much 

 admired ; the beautiful forms and colouring of the flowers would 

 run the orchids a close race were they not so ephemeral. 



Many fine plants were seen in the Botanic Section, also two 

 lady gardeners in "rational costume" and blue aprons assidously 

 dutch-hoeing the beds. 



The various hot-houses were next inspected, in one of which 

 a very fine young seedling plant of Lodo'icea seycJiellensia was 

 pointed out, with its double seed-nut still attached ; the nut, long 

 known on the Maldive coast and used as a poison antidote, was 

 supposed to be the fruit of a submarine tree, hence the name 

 " Cocoa-de-Mer." This belief obtained credence until the dis- 

 covery of the Seychelles group, when the tree was found with fruit. 

 It reaches to a height of about 100 feet, and grows on thi'ee only 

 out of the thirty islands comprising the group. Many attempts 

 have been made to introduce this beautiful tree elsewhere, all 

 resulting in failure ; it is believed that the plant at Kew is the 



